“Do you know," Peter asked, "why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories.” ~ J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

11.19.2008

The thief

Shhhhh . . .

This is about a thief of trust.

You sat on the floor with her, elbows on the coffee table, exchanging secrets & gossip, told her some of your dreams, talked about art & the internet, books & tv. You whispered while Mary was sleeping, giggling with each other while trying to stay quiet. You answered her phone call when Mary was distraught & angry, crossing the street to help, understanding her tears, as well as Mary's. Yes, all of that, and more.

And yet.

She was writing it down. In ink. On paper. Noting times & actions. Oh, not your actions, not your words, not your thoughts. You are not an employee of The Company that Cannot - if you were, you would've made the list of Things Done That Were Not To Be Done. But lucky you. You don't.

This company that cannot can hire a spy. That word - spy - makes you laugh. How very James Bond-y, you think. Shaken, not stirred, you think. When you are told, you think oh,surely not. Much ado about nothing. But you are wrong. There is a paper trail, there are emails, notes, non-returned phone calls, her sudden disappearance. And you never knew, never even - not in a million zillion years - would've suspected. Never. In this you are not alone. Everyone is stunned. These are all people with whom she has shared meals & laughter, people who believed she cared. "How much money was involved?", you ask each other, feeling hurt & angry that your thoughts run in this direction. What does it take to make someone a thief? One who is welcomed at the front door. No cutting of screen windows necessary.